Control apparatus for traveling web cut-off mechanism



A. MAGNANI 2,739,483

CONTROL APPARATUS FOR TRAVELING WEB CUT-OFF MECHANISM Filed March 11, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 /7 INVENTOR.

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A TT RA E Y March 27, 1956 A. MAGNANI CONTROL APPARATUS FOR TRAVELING WEB CUT-OFF MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. MJ/ia quadmit/w Mlif ATWRn vy;

Filed March 11, 1954 United States Patent G CONTRQL APPARATUS FOR TRAVELING WEB CUT-OFF MECHANISM Alessandro Magnani, Broni, Italy, assignor of one-half to F. L. Srnidth & Co. A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark, a corporation of Denmark Application March 11, 1954, Serial No. 415,476

6 Claims. (Cl. 74-25) The cutting device, with which the new control mecha nism is to be used, includes a frame carrying a blade and a cutting block extending transversely and on opposite sides of a moving web of sheet material. The frame is mounted for reciprocal movement in a path parallel to the line of movement of the web, and the blade and cutting block are moved into engagement, thereby transversely severing the web, when the frame and web are moving in the same direction and at the same speed. The reciprocal motion of the frame is effected by a cam, which is brought into operation at intervals of selected length by the new control mechanism. In its preferred form, the mechanism includes a one-revolution clutch for connecting the cam with a continuously rotating drive shaft, so that the cam makes one revolution, during which it causes the cutting frame to make one complete reciprocation. The mechanism also includes a reciprocating pawl, which operates a ratchet wheel selected from a set of such Wheels, which differ from one another in the number of their teeth. Ordinarily, the ratchet wheels are all carried by a rotatably mounted sleeve having a lever attached to one end thereof and operable to engage the clutch on each revolution of the sleeve, thereby causing the cam to be rotated. A second lever movable with the cam, disengages the clutch, after the cam has moved through one revolution.

A form of the invention suitable for cutting lengths of a continuous strip of fibrous cement sheeting issuing from a forming machine, will be described in detail for the purpose of explanation, in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the new cutting apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a view in section of the new apparatus on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation showing part of the side of the cutting apparatus opposite to that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the operating mechanism; 7

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic end view in elevation with parts broken away of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view in section disclosing details of the clutch arrangement shown in Fig. 4;

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary longitudinal and crosssectional views, respectively, showing the disengaged position of the clutch control mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 6; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Figs. 7 and 8 but showing the clutch control mechanism in the engaged position.

In Figs. 1-4, incl., of the drawings, the cutting device is illustrated in connection with a forming machine, generally indicated at 10 as including an endless series of suction boxes 11 disposed within a porous belt 12. The machine delivers a continuous web 13 of fibrous cementitious material of corrugated cross-section, which, after leaving the belt, passes through the cutting apparatus generally indicated 14 and is cut into units of the desired length. The units pass to the table 15, whence they are removed to storage.

The cutting device 14 comprises a frame 16 mounted on bearings 17 for oscillation on a stationary shaft 18, carried by fixed mounts 19 on supports 20. A cylinder 21 mounted on the frame contains a piston 22 operable by fluid under pressure admitted to the cylinder at opposite ends through lines 23 and 24. The flow of the pressure fluid to the lines 23 and 24 also is controlled by a valve 25 mounted at one end of the frame 16 and connected through line 26 to a fluid pressure source; the valve 25 also having a discharge line 27. The valve 25 is so constructed that, when one of the lines 23, 24 is connected with pressure line 26, the other line is connected to the discharge line 27. The valve 25 is biased by a spring to admit fluid pressure to the cylinder 21 through line 23 and maintain the piston at the right-hand end of the cylinder, as seen in Fig. 2.

The piston has a rod 28 extending out of the righthand end of the cylinder (Fig. 2) and connected at its outer end to one end of linkage 29 to one arm of a bell crank lever 34, which is pivotally mounted at 35 near the upper end of the frame at one side thereof. The other arm of the bell crank lever 34 is connected by a link 36 to one end of a lever 37 pivotally mounted on the frame opposite lever 34. Levers 34 and 37 are connected by links 38 and 39, respectively, to a plate 40 which is movable vertically in the frame 16 between guide rollers 41 and 42 and carries a cutting blade 43 of corrugated profile corresponding to the cross-section of the web 13. A cutting block 44 is mounted on the frame below blade 43 and has the same profile as the blade. When the valve 25 is set to admit pressure to line 24 and move the piston 22 to the left, the levers 34 and 37 are swung to lower plate 40, and blade 43 cuts the web 13 as it passes between the blade and cutting block.

An arm 45 rigidly attached to the frame is provided with a cam follower roller 46 engaging the cam surface of a rotary cam 47 and a spring 48 acts on arm 45 to hold roller 46 in contact with the cam 47. The cam is fast on a shaft 49 journaled in bearings 50 and 51 mounted on supports 52 and 53, respectively (Fig. 4).

Cam 47 is rotated at intervals by a clutch mechanism 61 (Fig. 4) including a gear 62, which has a hub 63 journaled on shaft 49 and is in mesh with a gear 64 keyed to a drive shaft 65. The drive shaft 65 is rotatably supported near its opposite ends by bearings 66 and 67 and is continuously rotated by a pulley 68 keyed to the shaft 65 and driven through a belt 69 by a suitable driving means.

A clutch disc 70 is keyed to the cam shaft 49 adjacent to gear 62 and a spider '71 is supported by bushing 72 having a closed end 72a which is splined to and movable axially along end 49a of the cam shaft. Pins 73 and 74 carried by the arms of the spider 71 extend through openings 70a and 70b in the clutch disc 70. When the spider is moved towards the clutch disc 70, the pins 73 and '74 enter openings 62a and 62b in the gear 62 and connect the disc and gear, so that the cam shaft 49 is rotated. A spring 78 between the spider 71 and clutch disc 70, urges the spider away from the disc so that pins 73 and 74 are normally removed from the openings in the gear 62.

The operating mechanism 79 for engaging the clutch 61 at selected intervals includes a plurality of ratchet wheels 80, which differ from one another in the number of their teeth, and may be mounted on and keyed to a sleeve 31 journaled on the drive shaft 65. Collars 82 and 83 are journaled on the ratchet sleeve 81 at the opposite ends of the row of ratchet wheels and serve to maintain the ratchet wheels in position on the sleeve. The collars S2 and 33 have radially extending arms 84 and 85 formed integral therewith, respectively, and the arms support a spindle 86 lying parallel to the drive shaft 65. A pawl 87 is mounted on the spindle 36 and may be moved lengthwise thereof into a position for engagement with any one of the ratchet wheels 86. Collars 88 and 89 having set screws 88a and 89a, respectively, are carried by the spindle 86 on either side of the pawl 87, and serve to hold the latter in position. If desired, only the selected ratchet wheel may be mounted on the sleeve 81 at a time.

The spindle 86 is connected by links 90, 91 to arms 92, 93 on a rocker shaft 16 supported by bearings 97 and 98. Shaft 96 has an arm 99 connected to a link 100 to a pin 101 eccentrically mounted on pulley 68 (Fig. 5).

The clutch mechanism 61 is operated by a means including a bushing 111 slidably mounted in a stationary bearing 112 and having an external circumferential flange 113 with a radial shoulder 113a which abuts the adjacent end of the bearing 112. The bushing has an internal flange 114 (Fig. 6) at its end remote from flange 113 and a rod 115 mounted in flange 114. The rod extends lengthwise through the bushing 111 with its opposite end in engagement with the closed end 72a of bushing 72. A spring 117 encircling the rod 115 within the bushing 111 is seated at one end on flange 114 and at the other on a circumferential flange 118 on the rod. The spring 117 holds the rod in engagement with bushing 72 and is weaker than spring 78. The radially extending arm 119 mounted on one end of the ratchet sleeve 81, has an inclined surface 119a formed on its free end which engages a conical disc 121i mounted on the left-hand end of the bushing 111. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, on each revolution of the arm 119, the bushing 111 and the rod 115 are moved towards the spider 71 thereby engaging the clutch mechanism.

A lever 121 (Fig. 4) is pivotally mounted by pin 122 and secured to a radial shoulder 123 formed about the stationary bearing 112. The lever 121 moves in a plane disposed at right angles to the axis of the bushing 111, and an arm 121a of the lever normally rests upon the bushing flange 113 adjacent to the end of the bearing 112, (Figs. 7 and 8). When the bushing 111 is moved to engage the clutch mechanism, arm 121a of lever 121 drops by gravity between the radial shoulder 113a of the bushing and the adjacent end of the stationary bearing 112 to hold the clutch in its engaged position after the lever 119 has been rotated past its engaging position with bushing disc 121) (Figs. 9 and l0). The clutch is released atter one revolution of the cam shaft 49 by means of a clutch release lever 125 (Fig. 4) secured to the spider 71 and extending parallel to the axis of shaft 49 toward the bearing 112. On each revolution of the spider 71, lever 125 engages the tail 12% of lever and rocks the lever to free its end 129a from the radial shoulder 113a of the bushing. The clutch spring 78 then moves the spider 71 and bushing 111 to release the clutch and the parts assume their initial positions shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

The cylinder 21 is operated by a control mechanism 13% (Figs. 2 and 3) to actuate the cutting device 14, each time the frame 16 is moved in the same direction as the moving web 13. The control mechanism 130 is mounted on frame 16 and includes a valve operating member 131 carrying a roller 132 engageahle with a contact member 133 on a standard 134 fast on shaft 18 at one side of frame 16. The contact member 133 is pivoted on the standard and projects above the latter, so that its upper end lies in the path of travel of the roller 132. The member 133 has a shoulder 133a formed at one side, which is engageable with the side of the standard, and the position of the pivotal axis of the contact member is such that the shoulder 133a normally lies in contact with the standard.

In the operation of the valve control mechanism 130 the roller 132 on the valve operating member 131 cugages contact member 133 and attempts to swing it when the frame 16 starts to move in the same direction as the web 13. The shoulder 133a on the member engages the side of the standard 134 and holds the former against such movement and, as a result, the roller 132 and operating member 131 are moved upwardly. The valve 25 isthereby set to admit pressure to the cylinder 21 through line 24, thus moving the piston 22 to operate the cutting device 14. As the roller 132 moves beyond the end of the contact member 133, the valve 25 and valve operating member 131 return to their initial positions. roller 132 engages the contact member 133 and swings it without operating the valve because its movement in this direction is not prevented by the engagement of the shoulder 133a of the member with the side of the standard.

The operation of the device in the form illustrated is as follows:

Gear 62 which is loosely mounted on the cam shaft 49 is continuously rotated by gear 64 mounted on the drive shaft 65. The pawl 87 is reciprocated once per revolu: tion of the drive shaft, and rotates a selected ratchet wheel 86 and the ratchet sleeve 81 is thereby rotated at a predetermined rate of speed depending upon the number of teeth on the engaged ratchet wheel. On each revolution of the sleeve, the arm 119 engages and moves the bushing toward the clutch mechanism, and the spider pins 73 and 74 are thereby entered in openings in gear 62, causing the cam shaft 49 to be rotated.

When the bushing is moved to engage the clutch, the lever 121 drops by gravity between the bushing shoulder 113a and the adjacent end of the stationary bearing, thereby holding the bushing and clutch mechanism against movement in the opposite direction by spring 78, after the arm 119 is moved out of engagement with the bushing. When the cam shaft 49 has made one revolution, the lever carried by the spider 71, rocks the lever 121 out of engagement with the bushing shoulder and the clutch spring 78 acts to disengage the clutch and return the parts to their initial position (Fig. 6). speed of rotation of the cam 47, and thus the speed of the reciprocating movement of the frame 16 remains constant because the cam is driven by the drive shaft 65 continuously rotated at a constant speed. By selecting suitable drive gear ratios, the speed of the reciprocating movement of the frame 16 can be made to coincide with the speed of movement of the web 13 so that when the cutting device 14 is operated the moving web 13 is cut without being torn, or otherwise deforming its severed edges.

I claim:

1.111 apparatus for severing lengths from a moving web of sheet material, which includes a frame reciprocable along a path generally parallel to the direction of movement of the web; the combination of a rotary cam, means actuated by the cam for reciprocating the frame, a continuously rotating drive shaft, 21 ones-evolution clutch for connecting the cam to the drive shaft for rotation thereby, and means for actuating the clutch intermittently including a ratchet wheel, which is one of a set of wheels differing from one another in the number of their teeth, a pawl engageable with the ratchet wheel, and means connected to the drive shaft for reciprocating the pawl.

2. In apparatus for severing lengths from a moving web of sheet material, which includes a frame reciprocable along a path generally parallel to the direction of movement of the web; the combination of a rotary cam,

On the return movement of the frame 16, the

The

means actuated by the cam for reciprocating the frame, a continuously operating drive shaft, clutch means for connecting the cam to the dri e shaft for rotation thereby, and means for actuating the clutch means intermittently including a group of rotatably mounted ratchet wheels diifering from one another in the number of their teeth, a pawl engageable with a selected ratchet wheel, means operated by the drive shaft for reciprocating the pawl, means rotating in unison with the selected ratchet wheel for actuating the clutch means, and means operable to release the clutch means after one revolution of the cam.

3. In apparatus for severing lengths from a moving web of sheet material, which includes a frame reciprocable along a path generally parallel to the direction of movement of theweb; the combination of a rotary cam, means actuated by the cam for reciprocating the frame, a continuously operating drive shaft, a one-revolution clutch for connecting the cam to the drive shaft for rotation thereby, and means for actuating the clutch intermittently including a rotary operating member, a group of ratchet wheels connected to the rotary member which differ from one another in the number of their teeth, a pawl engageable with a selected ratchet wheel for rotating the rotary member, means operated by the drive shaft for reciprocating the pawl, and means rotating in unison with the rotary member for engaging the clutch.

4-. In apparatus for severing lengths of a moving web of sheet material which includes a frame reciprocable along a path generally parallel to the direction of movement of the web; the combination of a rotary cam, means actuated by the rotation of the cam for reciprocating the frame, a continuously operating drive shaft, 2. one-revolution clutch for connecting the cam to the drive shaft for rotation thereby, and means for actuating the clutch intermittently including a rotatably mounted member, a plurality of ratchet wheels carried by the rotatably mounted member, the ratchet wheels all being of the same diameter and difiering from one another in the number of their teeth, a pawl engageable with a selected ratchet wheel, means operated by the drive shaft for reciprocating the pawl thereby rotating the selected ratchet wheel and the member, and means rotating in unison with the member for actuating the clutch.

5. In apparatus for severing lengths of a moving web of sheet material which includes a frame reciprocably mounted along a path generally parallel to the direction of movement of the web, a rotary cam, and means actuated by the rotation of the cam for reciprocating the frame; the combination of a continuously operating drive necting the cam to the drive shaft for rotation thereby, the clutch means being bias-zed .in a disengaged position, a rotatably mounted member, 'a plurality of ratchet wheels carried by the rotatably mounted member, the ratchet wheels all being of substantially the same diameter and differing from one another in the number of their teeth, a pawl engageable with a selected ratchet wheel, means operated by the drive shaft for continuously reciprocating the pawl thereby rotating the selected ratchet wheel and the rotatable member, means carried by the rotatable member and effective each revolution thereof for engaging the clutch means, means for holding the clutch means in an engaged position, and means carried by the rotary elements of the clutch means which is operable each revolution thereof to release the holding means.

6. In apparatus for severing lengths of a moving web of sheet material which includes a frame reciprocably mounted along a path generally parallel to the direction of movement of the web, a rotary cam, and means actuated by the rotation of the cam for reciprocating the frame; the combination of a continuously operating drive shaft, a clutch means including a rotary element for connecting the cam to the drive shaft for rotation thereby, the clutch means being biased in a disengaged position, a rotatably mounted member loosely mounted on the drive shaft, a plurality of ratchet wheels carried by the rotatably mounted member, the ratchet wheels all being of substantially the same diameter and differing from one another in the number of their teeth, a rocker shaft continuously oscillated by the drive shaft, a pawl, a swinging mounting for the pawl actuated by-the rocker shaft, the pawl being adjustable along the mounting to engage a selected ratchet wheel and thereby rotating the selected ratchet wheel and the rotatable member, means carried by the rotatable member and effective each revolution thereof for engaging the clutch means, means for holding the clutch means in an engaged position, and means carried by the rotary elements of the clutch means which is operable each revolution thereof to release the holding means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Egan July 18, 1950 

